George a



GS A. MEAD.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

j TE STATES PATN T OFFIO.

GEORGE A. MEAD, 0F MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY, 0F MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application led January 5, Y1918. Serial No. 210,523.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE A. MEAD, a citizen of the United States residing at `Mansfield, in the county of Iichland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Connectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices used for electrically ,connecting the adjacent ends of conductors and its most common use is applied to the uniting of rails for the return current of electric railroads and in such case the device is known as a rail bond.

The object of this Vinvention is to produce a rail bond or connector which shallbe simple'of manufacture, low in manufacturing cost, efficient as to its application, efficient as to its purpose as a conductor of electric current, efficient as to maintenance of contact with the rail or other conductor and meeting certain requirements peculiar to a bond of the type to bei applied by a heating flame of high temperature-one requirement being that of proper proportionin of the parts. y

he form of bond illustrated and described herein is adapted to be attached to the rail or conductor by the use of the'oxyacetylene flame, the oxyhydrogen flame, the flame of the electric arcv or other heating flame of high temperature such as 4000c F. and upward.l

Figure 1 shows an end elevation view of my improved bond as it is usually positioned on a rail by an attaching metal indicated by the dotted line.

l Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of my bond with one terminal in section.

Fig. 3 shows a top plan of the terminal of my bond as shown in Figs: 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 shows a top plan view of a modiiied form of terminal.

Figs. 5 and 6 show top plan views of an insert piece .used in bonds having terminals as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively.

Fig. 7 shows a modication of a terminal *y for a rail bond and which can be substituted for that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A description of my bond and the preferred `form is as follows:

The bond consists of a iiexible body member' (1) which may comprise two cables or one, or it may consist of a plurality of ribbons all of which are common and well which by doubling would VI prefer to construct of steel, iron, Monel metal or alloys high in iron. My preference for these metals is on account of their greater aiiinity for the metal used in securing the bonds to the rail; also on account of reducing the cost and for the reason that they stand the intense heat of the heating flame used in attaching the bond far better than terminals made of copper although copper is not impossible, or even impractical in use.

The terminal (2) as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 is made up of a sleeve portion (3) which may entirely or only partially surround the body member (l), a shelf or projecting ledge (4) which may or may not entirely surround the head portion of the body member, and an insert member (5) which I have found to be of great advantage in the construction of my bond and contributing largely to the success of the objects of the bond as it permits of the use of thin sheet metal which can be formed up around the bond as a terminal and permits of thickening certain portions of the bond which should be thickened to make the bond a success and to meet the peculiar and exacting requirements resulting from the use of a high temperature flame in its application.

rIn Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the ends of the body member (l) are shown as upset, enlarged, compressed and projecting slightly above the upper face of the shelf member (4).

I have found that a very efficient bond in a great many respects can be constructed by the use of a flexible body cable and a terminal made of sheet steel, iron or Monel metal but I have found that the use of thin sheet material formed up into proper shape will not withstand the intense heat of the directly applied heating iame used in installing the bond. I have also found that to merely double the thickness of the thin sheet material where a thicker section is required is not sufficient and I have also found that to use sheet material which is thick enough, give suflicient thickness to form the shelf (4), will then be too thick to be properly formed up into a terminal which will be neat in appearance j ferred forms ofrmy bond embodying my invention and alsoshown and described modiand all that is required. Therefore by usingV thin material and thickening up such parts as it is advisable to thicken by the use' of an insert member (5), l am able to produce a terminal having the required thickness at those points necessary and no more thickness of metal than necessary at points where not required, and can form the terminal out of sheet metal which is formed up as a rule in a stamping press. j

In Fig. 3 I show aterminal in which the sleeve portion (3) extends entirely Varound the body portion but the shelf or ledge (4) extendsV Vonly part way around and in such a construction l use an insert piece shaped as in Fig. 5. This, however, leaves no insert along one side of the bond terminal and if it is advantageous for any reason to have the insert along all sidesor surrounding the 'A faces of the end of the body, itis only necessary toconstructthe same similar to Fig. '6. The application of an insert according to Fig. 6 is' shown in Fig. 4.

It will be readily understood that ifit is desired to extend the shelf (4) entirely around the bond that this is possible and well within the scope of my invention, as

fmy invention admits of flexibility. VThe insert can be made in several different ways, for instance it might consist of round wire, square wire, rectangular wire and of any size suitable, or 1t may be made out of a stamping from sheet'metalor cast Vor byl thin sheet material folded on itself and of proper shape.

If it is not desired to upset the end of the flexible body (l) but to leave it practically straight and unheaded as shown in Fig. 7

then itis advisable to anchor the terminal to the body (l) and it is also advisable not to do this by squeezing the sleeve (3) onto "the body as flexibility at this point is usually inadvisable; hence, my invention can,

by proper applicationras shown in Fig. 7, be

Vused to anchor or securethe terminal (2) to the body (l) by causing the insert to grip thebody portion tightly and seat itself into thesurface-of the body. This point is illustrated by th'einsert (9) in Fig. 7.

)Vhile I have described one of the prefications thereof, i do not wish it understood that these are all the modifications or forms in which my invention may be used as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

t is quite possible to modify my inventionV by forcing the two parts of the sleeve of which the shelf is formed tightly together and without an insert and to increase the thickness of this shelf. by overlapping it on "thev outside with a separate piece ofmaterialmaking the increasein thickness by external 1n place ofl internal means.

In Fig,V 2 a slot is shown indicated by (10) in the sleeve portion of the terminal and this has Vbeen found advantageous as a means of Vproducing Vgreater' flexibility be-V tween the sleeve and the body at this point.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact description and drawing herein disclosed but to be limited only by the following claims.

l. An electrical connector adapted to be attached Yby welding, consisting in combining with a flexible body member a shelf secured to and projecting `fromthe body member and adapted to support and retain attaching metal and to be formed up of sheet metal folded back upony itself and a separate member inserted between the folds of the metal'composing the shelf,.to increase Y vthe thickness of the shelf. .Y

2. An electrical connector to beattached by welding comprising in combination'with V`a body member a shelf secured to the body member and adapted to support and retain attaching metal and formed up out of sheet metal and having separate meansl forincreasing the thickness of thelshelf over and above that producedby the sheet metal of the shelf.

3. Anv electrical connector to be attached by Welding comprising in combination withV a flexible body member a shelf securedto the body member and adapted to support and retain attaching metal and formed of sheet metal folded back upon itself and having separate Vsolid means for increasing the thickness of the shelf beyond that produced by the sheet metal of the shelf. V j

4. A rail bond adapted to be attached by welding, comprising in combination with a body member having a terminal secured thereto, of a shelf projecting` from the terminal and adapted to support and retain attaching metal in overlapping relation to the body member, the shelf composed of sheet metal folded back upon itself and forming a space therebetween and an opening adjal tion with a body member, a shelf member projecting from and secured tothe body member adjacent the end thereof, and a third member surrounding the exposed parts Ao-f the shelf member to increase the size and extent of projection thereof and act asa ledge to catch and support attaching metal thereon in overlapping relation to the end of the body member.

8. An electrical connector to be attached by Welding comprising in combination with a flexible body and a sleeve secured thereto, and provided with a hollow shelf projecting therefrom, of a solid metal filler member positioped in the hollow space of the projecting shel 9. An electrical connection comprising a flexible body member and a terminal member secured together, the terminal member provided with a transverse opening to receive and retain the body member, the terminal also having a shelf projecting therefrom composed of a plurality of separately formed parts compressed and compacted together and adapted to catch and retain an attaching metal in overlapping relation to the end of the body member, one of the parts forming the shelil to engage and lock the body to the terminal.

10. An electrical connector comprising in combination a flexible body and a terminal member secured together, the terminal mem ber provided with a slot open at one side and two ends to receive the body member and having a projecting hollow shelf with a solid metal filler member positioned in the hollow space of the projecting shelf.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature.

GEORGE A. MEAD. 

